Improved ratchet-brace



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVED RATCHET-BRACE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 37,971, dated March 24, 1863.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, L. H. OLMSTED, of Yonkers, in tne county of Westchester and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved RatchetBrace, and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, char, and exact description of the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which- Figure l represents a side elevation of my invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, taken in the plane indicated by the line xm, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a similar section, the line y y, Fig. l, indicating the plane of section and looking in the direction ofthe arrow opposite to that line.

Similar letters of reference in the three views indicate corresponding parts.

This invention consists, first, in rigidly applying the dog, which catches into the serrated wheel, to the handle of a ratchet-brace, said handle being provided with a stop and allowed sufficient play to release the point of the dog in such a manner that by moving the handle in one direction the dog clears the serrated wheel and permits the handle to turn back independent of the drill in the brace7 and by throwing the handle in 'the opposite direction the point of the dog is brought to bear on the circumference of the serrated wheel and the drill rotates with the handle.

The invention consists, second, in the arrangement of an adjustable clamp sliding up and down on the nut of the -ratchet-brace, or on a stud, which also prevents the clamp from rotating with the nut, and which rises from the upper jaw in such a manner that on throwing the handle forward the clamp rotates simultaneously with the brace and drill, but on throwing the handle back the clamp ro tates with the same and with the movable jaws and independent of those parts of the brace which are rigidly connected to the drill, and by this motion of the clamp the nut is turned up and an automatic feed is produced, said feed being regulated by [a set-screw, which causes the clamp to bear on the nut with more or less pressure.

To enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe it with reference to the drawings.

.A represents the body or socket of a ratchetbrace, the upper part of which is turned down to form a stem which fits loosely into the jaws B B. Said stem extends through the jaws and forms the feed-screw C, to which the nut D is fitted in the ordinary manner.

Between the jaws B B', and firmly attached to the stem C, is theserrated wheel E, which serves to impart arotary motion to the socket A and to the drill that may be inserted into the same.

F is the handle, which has its fulcrum on a pivot, a, and which is rigidly connected to the dog b, the point of which is intended to bear on the surface of the serrated wheel and to impart the desired motion to the socket and drill when the handle is moved in one direction, and when the handle is moved in the opposite direction the dog releases the serrated wheel and allows the handle with the jaws B B to turn back independent of the socket and drills. A stop, c, which is rigidly inserted into one of the jaws or in the dog,

and which catches into a corresponding socket, causes the jaws to move with the handle in either direction.

In order to obtain sufficient play for the handle and dog to clear the serrated wheel, the fulcrum-pin a does not t closely into its hole in the handle, as shown in Fig. 3, or the stop c may have sufficient play in its socket in the handle to produce the desired effect.

The feed is eected automatically by the l clamp G, which is secured to a stud, d, rising from the upper jaw, B', and which slides up and down on the stud d. A set-screw, c, serves to press the clamp with a certain force against the circumference of the nut, and it is obvious that by this set-screw the feed can be regulated. If the clamp is attached .loosely to the nut, it will turn back with the handle without causing the nut to move correspondingly, but if the clamp embraces the nut with a certain pressure the nut will then turn back with the handle and the required feed will be effected.

In case a screw is used to produce the feed of the ratchet-brace, the clamp G is applied to it precisely in the same manner as to the nut.

What I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The arrangement and combination of the dog b, pivot a, stop c, handle F, and serrated Wheel E, all constructed and operating substantially as and for the purpose shown and described.

2. The arrangement of the clamp Gr, in combination withgthe stud d, or its equivalent, and with the nut 0r screw D of al ratchet-brace,

Constructed and operating substzmwallsr as and for the purpose specied.

L. H. OLMSTED. Wibnessesi M. S. PARTRIDGE, DANIEL ROBERTSON. 

